The library has been skillful at adapting in-person, group-based programming to digital platforms to allow for quarantine and social distancing. There are a number of digital programs designed to support reading readiness and early learning, but we quickly learned that residents were also interested in movement-based activities for young children, especially while staying home due to quarantine orders. We have a number of families with young children in our community, and wanted to make sure we were supporting them.

Yoga Storytime is designed to be a versatile program that can be viewed by participants at any time from just about any location. The library made the decision to post Yoga Storytime videos on Facebook so that they could be viewed by patrons at their convenience, using a computer, tablet or mobile phone, and without logging in to an account. Yoga Storytime balances reading, yoga poses and movements, as well as breathing and stress-management that is easy for young children to follow.

The library has created 22 Yoga Storytime videos, averaging about 20 minutes each. The majority of the audience is watching from Utah, but we have viewers from all over the world. Statistics for Yoga Storytime viewership are comparable with our other online Storytimes. As a result of Yoga Storytime’s success, our librarian has been invited to lead online yoga classes to county employees through a wellness initiative.